I recently watched all of Blake's 7(on VHS, since it hasn't been released on DVD in America yet). Despite the Captain Proton-esque production values, I really enjoyed it. I've head it described(along with subsequent, similar shows like Farscape, Firefly, and Lexx) as the anti-Star Trek, and with the enemy being a totalitarian state called the Federation whose symbol is the Starfleet symbol turned sideways, it sure seems like more than a coincidence to me. Does anyone know how much Trek influenced B7 and/or what Terry Nation's opinion of Trek was?
Was Blake's 7 supposed to be the anti-Trek?
- Thread starter TalkieToaster
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I think Star Trek had an impact, as you say the use of the Federation, and the skewed Starfleet symbol seem more than coincidence, though I’m not sure how much more than coincidence it is. There’s obviously the teleport effectively being the transporter as well.
I think Trek was just one of several influences though. Obviously Robin Hood and The Dirty Dozen, plus 1984, and clearly Dr Who as well.
I think Trek was just one of several influences though. Obviously Robin Hood and The Dirty Dozen, plus 1984, and clearly Dr Who as well.
Hard to say. Star Trek aired in Britain starting in 1969, so a 1978 show's creators could've been aware of it. But ST probably wouldn't have loomed nearly as large in British SF/F culture as Doctor Who or the Gerry Anderson canon.
Wikipedia lists ST as just one of the series' many inspirations:
So there was some influence, but it's not like countering Trek was the primary, overarching purpose behind the series.
Wikipedia lists ST as just one of the series' many inspirations:
So there was some influence, but it's not like countering Trek was the primary, overarching purpose behind the series.
And it was hardly the first sci-fi show to have a vicious totalitarian dystopia as the antagonist for a small group of rebels. They've been doing on radio dramas for decades prior.
Mark
Mark
What might of made B7 difference where the "good guys" were a bunch of criminals, not from their anti-federation activies but thos which even in our society would see them in prison.
Vila - thief
Avon - fraud/computer hacking
Gan - murder (yes I know it was after a Federation guard had killed his wife/girlfiend).
Jenna - Smuggler/drug mule.
Blake - child molester (yes I know trumped up charges).
Cally - insurgent.
Though that was probably the influence of the Dirty Dozen and Robin Hood.
Blake's 7 was definitely pitched as "The Dirty Dozen in Space," at one point and the Robin Hood imagery they used early on was fairly obvious. I wouldn't go so far as to call it the "anti Trek," despite the use of the name "Federation." It was more "a little Trek, a little Dirty Dozen, a little Brave New World."
Yes I do believe the full title was the Terran Federation, but just like in Star Trek where we have the United Federation of Planets it was often shortned to just The Federation.
But whilst the members of B7 were a bunch of criminals, remember that The Doctor from DW is also a theif he did after steal his Type 40 Tardis (ok he says he only borrowed it). Yet he is the hero of that story not because of what he once did but because of what he does now.
But whilst the members of B7 were a bunch of criminals, remember that The Doctor from DW is also a theif he did after steal his Type 40 Tardis (ok he says he only borrowed it). Yet he is the hero of that story not because of what he once did but because of what he does now.
Well, yeah, Terry Nation pitched it as Robin Hood in Space, Chris Boucher and David Maloney tweaked into the Dirty Dozen in Space. The arrowhead symbol is probably not coincidental, but would have been down to one of the designers, I think. The totalitarian government is almost certainly called the Federation just to distinguish it from Empire, which they were conscious of being too Star Wars-ish, though it is referred to in passing as an empire several times in the series.
That said, watch By Any Other Name, and then Star One, and tell me they don't make a lovely two-part story!
That said, watch By Any Other Name, and then Star One, and tell me they don't make a lovely two-part story!
Why do I suspect that in the first draft, Terry Nation called it the Terran Nation, and then shifted towards the Terran Federation because he didn't want to seem too self involved?
Worth remembering that Doctor Who had its own Federation prior to Blake's 7, the Galactic Federation of "The Curse of Peladon" and "The Monster of Peladon," debuting in 1972.
And of course there were federations in science fiction well before Star Trek existed. H. Beam Piper was writing stories about a Terran Federation in the 1950s-60s, and Heinlein had one of the same name in Starship Troopers in 1959, as JoeZhang said. Heinlein also had a Federation in Between Planets in 1951, though that's an Earth government rather than an interplanetary/interstellar one. There were no doubt others.
And of course there were federations in science fiction well before Star Trek existed. H. Beam Piper was writing stories about a Terran Federation in the 1950s-60s, and Heinlein had one of the same name in Starship Troopers in 1959, as JoeZhang said. Heinlein also had a Federation in Between Planets in 1951, though that's an Earth government rather than an interplanetary/interstellar one. There were no doubt others.
The use of the name Federation in the Peladon stories probably was a nod at Star Trek, Terrance Dicks was a fan (it's hardly surprising he'd pay attention to the SF show that replaced Who on a Saturday in 69), IIRC there's even a memo where he asks the Bristol Boys for his copy of The Making of Star Trek book back.
what's funny about the About Time series of books that act as a guide to Who is how much they hate Star Trek, to the point of coming over as deeply insecure about whether Star Trek is actually better than Who and are trying to reassure themselves (each book certainly mentions Trek more than I've ever seen a Trek book mention Who). This results in a lot of them "proving" Trek never had any influence on Who, even in moments where the people making Who said "This was nicked from Star Trek" (the exceptions being if they think something is mocking Trek or can be used as proof of why being inspired by Trek is bad).
Probably the most overt nod at Trek in the whole of B7 is the "Space... they used to call it the final frontier" gag in The One With Tarrant's Brother".
what's funny about the About Time series of books that act as a guide to Who is how much they hate Star Trek, to the point of coming over as deeply insecure about whether Star Trek is actually better than Who and are trying to reassure themselves (each book certainly mentions Trek more than I've ever seen a Trek book mention Who). This results in a lot of them "proving" Trek never had any influence on Who, even in moments where the people making Who said "This was nicked from Star Trek" (the exceptions being if they think something is mocking Trek or can be used as proof of why being inspired by Trek is bad).
Probably the most overt nod at Trek in the whole of B7 is the "Space... they used to call it the final frontier" gag in The One With Tarrant's Brother".
"Space, the final frontier as it was once known." 
Deathwatch is a favourite of mine.
Of course whilst I don't think it was an actual lift, it's hard not to view the last few seconds of Star One and the last few moments of Best of Both worlds pt 1 and see a tiny similarity or two!
Deathwatch is a favourite of mine. Of course whilst I don't think it was an actual lift, it's hard not to view the last few seconds of Star One and the last few moments of Best of Both worlds pt 1 and see a tiny similarity or two!
Well if you don't mind the Federation becoming a corrupt dictatorship in between the two episodes.
To be fair, they were all very drunk by modern standards.